New Delhi (PTI): Petrol and diesel in big cities will cost more after public sector oil firms decided to sell only branded fuel from most of their outlets.

Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have converted about 70-80 per cent of their petrol pumps in 17-18 cities including NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore to "branded fuel only outlets," industry sources said.

Branded petrol costs between Rs 3 and 4 a litre more than normal unbranded petrol, while branded diesel is priced at Rs 1.25 to Rs 2 per litre more than normal diesel.

Consumers will no longer have the choice of buying the cheaper fuel at most of the petrol pumps in big cities, sources said, adding the move on part of the oil companies was a calibrated effort to completely phase out the normal or unbranded fuel from these cities.